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Committee advances bill that would phase out transferable set gillnet permits with a limited family transfer option
Summary
AB 1056 (Bennett) would prevent transfers of set gillnet permits after 2027, while allowing one-time family transfers thereafter; proponents framed it as a gradual phase-out to reduce bycatch, opponents from fishing associations urged protections for the fishery and management through Fish and Game Commission.
The committee advanced AB 1056, which phases out transferability of set gillnet permits in California while allowing a one-time transfer to a family member after 2027.
Assemblymember Bennett said the measure represents a modest and fair approach: it lets current permit holders continue to fish and offers a one-time family transfer, but prevents expansion of the fishery by making permits nontransferable long term. Proponents including Oceana, Resource Renewal Institute and other ocean conservation groups told the committee that set gillnets have a long history of high bycatch and that similar gear has been banned along much of the California coast.
Opposing witnesses from Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen's Associations and regional fishermen's associations argued the bill improperly strips transfer rights and could set a damaging precedent that bypasses the Fish and Game Commission’s regulatory authority. Fishermen’s associations urged that management and any limits be handled at the commission level and said the bill unfairly harms multi-generation fishing families.
Committee members noted the bill follows a Fish and Game Commission review where the commission adopted management reforms but concluded the legislature must act on permit-transfer authority. The committee voted to advance the bill to Appropriations, with some members expressing concern about precedent and asking for further consultation with the fishing community.
